Methane is a greenhouse gas around 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide and has been increasing in concentration in the atmosphere since measurements began. However, in 2020 scientists were bemused by a sudden unexplained spike in atmospheric levels. With so many possible sources and sinks of this gas, untangling the origins of this anomaly has proven a complex task but researchers think they may now have solved the mystery.
The unprecedented spike in atmospheric methane in 2020 was actually caused principally by reduced human emissions during the pandemic, which temporarily stopped the atmosphere from breaking down the gas, according to a new study.
